Amid a recent series of church closures, a local Catholic parish recently won a victory to keep their little church open.

The Catholic congregation in Portugal Cove-St. Philips say they felt betrayed by the Archdiocese of St. John’s by closing Holy Rosary Church in late 2022.

According to the Catholic Register, the parishioners filed an appeal against the Archdiocese, and to their absolute joy, the decision was overturned by the Vatican.

Ed Martin who led the charge, told the Catholic journal they’re thankful that “someone at the Vatican decided to take a look.” He says once their case was seen, “it was realized that proper canonical procedure wasn’t followed.”

The closure of a parish requires a specific process according to procedures in place.

Martin is now seeking out a meeting with Archbishop Peter Hundt to determine next steps.